Toy aeroplane



June 24, 1930. F. J. MEE

TOY AEROPLANE Filed e 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 24, 1930.. F. .9. MEE

' TOY AEROPLANE Filed Feb. 10, 19 28 2 siieetsfl-sheat 2 placed to itsnormal Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATNT; or'

FREDERICK JOHN MEE,

TOY AEROPLANE OF LONDON, ENGLAND Application filed February 10, 1928,Serial No. 253,341, and in Great Britain January 28, 1828.

This invention relates to toy or model aeroplanes and more particularlyto those of which a tractor propeller is driven by a motor comprising anumber of strands of elastic which are adapted to be twisted. If a toyor model aircraft of this type, at the end of a flight, nose divesinstead of alighting in a more or less horizontal position there is arisk that the propeller itself may be the first to come into contactwith the ground and it and/or its mounting, may be severely strained ifnot damaged seriously. The object of the invention is to provide animproved construction which shall minimize or eliminate entirely allrisk of such damage to the propeller.

In accordance with the invention the propeller of a toy or modelaeroplane is angularly displaceable, against spring action, in adirection transverse of its normal axis of rotation.

In the case of a toy or'model aeroplane having the usual strandedelastic motor, the restoration of the propeller from a disposition ispreferably effected by the pull of the stranded elastic motor itself.

In any case the shaft of the propeller may be adapted to be displacedangularly as one with the propeller. For example said shaft may bemounted in a hearing which itself is singularly displaceable about anyaxis transverse of the normal axis of rotation of the propeller. If thepropeller shaft be mounted in a bearing as just mentioned, a landingchassis may be angularly displaceable as one therewith about the sameaxis.

If desired, the propeller may be adapted to be displaced angularly abouta normally horizontal axis only.

' By way of example the accompanying drawings show two forms of theinvention in which the propeller isdisplaceable about a horizontal axisthe fore part only of the toy aeroplane being shown in side elevation ineach case, the form shown in Figure 1 having a fixed landing chassis,whilst that shown in Figure 2 is provided with a landing chassis whichis angularly displaceable as one with the propeller and its mounting.

In the case of the construction shown in igure 1 a propeller a is fastupon a short shaft I) mounted in bearings c, a and adapted to be rotatedby the elastic strands d in the well known manner. The bearings c, c arepressed out from a metal plate 6 of which side pieces f extenddownwardly one on each side of the longeron member y, constituting whatin a real aeroplane would be the fuselage,- whilst a bolt h passingthrough the side pieces f and said longron 9 serves as a pivot aboutwhich the propeller a and its shaft are angularly displaceable againstthe pull of the elastic strands (Z, the plate e serving to limit themovement of the mounting in one direction so that the shaft Z) is incorrect alignment. In this construction a landing chassis j is attachedrigidly as at I76" 71; to the longron g and is not, there ore, angularlydisplaceable with the propeller a and its mounting.

In the construction illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings a propellera is fast upon a shaft Z2 mounted in bearings c a and is adapted to berotated by. the elastic strands (Z as before. In this case, however, themetal plate 6 is shaped differently and a wire m serving asthe frameworkof a landing chassis j is attached to the rear of the side pieces 7 ofsaid plate 6 an extends across the top of the longron g intermediatelyof the length of said side pieces so as to serve also as a stop toprevent undue displacement about a bolt it (as in the previous case) ofthe propeller a and its mounting in the direction of the pull of theelastic strands d. It will be observed that in this construction thelanding chassis j is displaceable as one with the-propeller a and itsmounting about the bolt it. y

In both constructions illustrated the propeller 00 either alone ortogether with the landing chassis j, as the case may be, will, upon apart thereof below its axis of rotation encountering an obstacle whenthe model is moving inv a forward direction be displaced about the boltto a position such as those indicated by broken lines in the drawings,thus reducing or obviating the risk of damage.

in opposition to tional to the elastic strands (Z In cases where themotor is other than elastic strands (Z, a coiled or other spring orsprings may be adapted to pull the propeller shaft Z2 into its normalposition, and if de sired such a spring or springs may be addi toprovide for the contingency of a nose-dive after said strands havebecome unwound or otherwise slack.

I claim V 1. In a toy aeroplane, a body, a shaft, a propeller mountedupon sail shaft and rotatable about an axis adapted normally to extendin the direction of flight, a bearing support on said body for saidshaft, means mounting said bearing support for angular displacement ofthe propeller transversely of the axis thereof, and spring meansnormally maintaining said shaft with the propeller axis substantiallyparallel with the direction of flight, said mounting of the bearingsupport of the shaft being adapted for the angular displacement of thepropeller by the application pressure toward the rear on one of thepropeller blades when it is below said shaft.

2. In a toy aeroplane, thereon rotatable about an axis, adapted normallyto extend longitudinally of said body in the direction of flight, ahinged bearing support for the propeller adapting it for angulardisplacement about a pivot transverse to the direction of flight and anelastic motor adapted to impart rotary motion to said propeller andnormally to maintain it with its axis substantially parallel with thedirection of flight.

3. In a toy aeroplane, a body, a rotary shaft, a bearing support forsaid shaft hinged to said bodyon a transverse pivot, a propeller on saidshaft, andspring means adapted normally to maintain said shaftsubstantially parallel with th direction of flight, said hinged bearingsupport being adapted for angular displacement of said shaft andpropeller transversely of their axis.

4. In a toy aeroplane, a body, a shaft, a bearing support for said shafthinged to the body on a transverse pivot, a propeller fast on saidshaft, an elastic motor'adapted to impart rotary motion to said shaftand normally to maintain it substantially parallel with the direction offlight, the transverse pivot for said bearing support being adapted topermit movement of the bearing to effect angular displacement of saidshaft the elastic motor transversely of said axis. V 5. In a toyaeroplane, a body, a shaft, a propeller faston said shaft, a bearingsupport for said shaft, a transverse pivot mounting said bearing supportfor movement of the shaft and propeller in an axial plane of the shaftnormal to a body, a propeller an axial on the body said pivot, a landingchassis movable with said bearing support, and spring means adaptednormally to maintam said bearing support and landing chassis in positionfor flight with the axis of the propeller sub stantially parallel withthe direction of flight. I

6. In a toy aeroplane, a body, a shaft, a propeller fast on said shaft,a bearing support for said shaft, a transverse pivot mounting saidbearing support on the body for movement of the shaft and propeller inan axial plane of the shaft normal to said pivot, and an elastic motoradapted to im part rotary motion to said shaft and normally to maintainsaid bearing support with the axis of the propeller substantiallyparallel with the direction of flight.

7 In a toy aeroplane, a body, a shaft, a propeller fast on said shaft, abearing support for said shaft, a transverse pivot mounting said bearingsupport on the body for movement of the shaft and propeller in plane ofthe shaft normal to said pivot, a landingchassis mounted upon andmovable with said bearing support, and an elastic motor adapted toimpart rotary IllO- tion tosaid shaft and said bearing support andlanding chassis in such position that the axis ofthe propeller issubstantially parallel with the direction of flight.

8. In a toy aeroplane, a body, ashaft, a propeller fast on said shaft, abearing support for said shaft, a landing chassis, means securing saidbearing support and the landing chassis to said body for pivotal move--men-t thereof about a horizontal axis normal to said shaft, and springmeans adapted normally to maintain said bearing support and landingchassis in such position that the axis of the propeller is substantiallyparallel with the direction offlight.

9. In a toy aeroplane, a body, a shaft,a propeller fast on said shaft, abearing support for said shaft, a landing chassis, means normally tomaintain

